Dissolution of marriage
Through the civil registry office if both parties agree and there are no minor children, and through the court in all other cases. We prepare the documents so that there are no refusals or returns.
We handle dissolution of marriage at the civil registry office and through the court
We divide property, mortgage and business shares between spouses
We claim and revise alimony, including arrears
We resolve matters concerning children: place of residence, contact arrangements, travel abroad
We draft marriage contracts and agreements without going to court
An analysis of your situation by a lawyer with family practice: what is subject to division, what you are entitled to and how long it will take.
Message us on WhatsAppThrough the civil registry office if both parties agree and there are no minor children, and through the court in all other cases. We prepare the documents so that there are no refusals or returns.
An apartment, a car, deposits, business shares. We work out what is jointly owned and what remains personal: gifts, inheritance, premarital property.
The most difficult part of a divorce: who pays, who stays, and what to do about the bank. We calculate each spouse's contribution to the repayments.
Recovery as a share of income or a fixed sum, revision of the amount when income changes, recovery of arrears and penalties for late payment.
A dispute over who the child will live with. We work with the guardianship authorities, character references and psychologist's reports.
A schedule of meetings with the other parent, matters of a child travelling abroad, and the involvement of grandparents.
An agreement on the property regime, an agreement on alimony and on contact arrangements — an option that saves years and nerves.
Cases involving genetic testing, recovery of alimony after paternity is established.
The first consultation is free and confidential. If the matter can be resolved by agreement without court, we will suggest that route first.
Cost
Indicative prices. The exact amount is stated after reviewing the documents and is fixed in the contract before work begins.
| Service | What is included | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Consultation with a family lawyer | Review of the situation, prospects and a plan of action | free of charge |
| Dissolution of marriage without dispute | Preparation of documents and support throughout the procedure | from 45,000 ₸ |
| Agreement on alimony or division | Drafting a document to reflect your arrangement | from 35,000 ₸ |
| Marriage contract | Drafting the terms and support at the notary | from 60,000 ₸ |
| Recovery of alimony | Application or claim, representation in court | from 70,000 ₸ |
| Division of property in court | Full conduct of the case through to judgment | from 200,000 ₸ |
| Child dispute | Place of residence, contact arrangements, work with the guardianship authority | from 220,000 ₸ |
| Enforcement proceedings for maintenance | Recovery of arrears through a court enforcement officer | from 60,000 ₸ |
Prices are given for reference and do not constitute a public offer. State duty, valuation of property, notarial acts and expert examinations are paid separately.
You tell us how things are. What matters to us are the facts and dates, not who is in the right in the family.
We look at certificates, contracts, statements, loans. From this a picture emerges of what is divided and how.
We state the likely outcome, timelines and costs — including the option you will not like.
An agreement on division, alimony or contact arrangements. It is cheaper than court and gentler on the children.
The scope of work and the cost are set out in writing before we start.
Statement of claim, hearings, work with the guardianship authority and expert examinations. We attend ourselves; your presence is not always required.
We obtain the decision and, if necessary, appeal within the statutory time limit.
Registration of rights to property, recovery of alimony through a court enforcement officer, monitoring compliance with the contact schedule.
Describe your situation on WhatsApp — we will tell you which documents to prepare and whether a settlement agreement is enough.
Team
We handle a case from start to finish with the same team: you always know who is dealing with your matter and who to contact.
Practice
Details have been changed and anonymised: the content of the case is protected by professional privilege.
Useful information
A divorce rarely comes down to a single application. Behind it are immediately an apartment bought during the marriage, an outstanding mortgage, a car, savings, school-age children. If you act impulsively, you can sign an unfavourable agreement, miss the deadline for challenging a transaction, or lose evidence that property was bought with personal money.
It is even more complicated when one of the spouses leaves, changes jobs, takes the child abroad or hides income. A family lawyer is needed not to 'win at any cost', but to choose the right path: where to file the application, which documents to attach, what to negotiate straight away and what to leave for court. Below is an overview of the key situations and how a family lawyer acts in each of them.
A family lawyer in Almaty handles cases where law is closely intertwined with personal relationships: dissolution of marriage, division of jointly acquired property and mortgages, maintenance for children and a spouse, determining the child's place of residence and arrangements for contact with the child. A family lawyer in Almaty also prepares marriage contracts and spousal agreements, helps challenge paternity and resolve issues of a child travelling abroad. It is worth consulting a family lawyer as soon as it becomes clear that a peaceful agreement is not possible — before filing a claim, selling an apartment or transferring money.
You can tell whether a specialist is right for you at the first consultation. The main signs:
A family lawyer prepares documents, advises, helps gather evidence and draft a claim or agreement. If the divorce involves no dispute over property and children, and the parties have agreed on maintenance, such support is usually enough: for example, when dissolving a marriage through the registration authorities or under a notarial agreement.
When a case goes to court, the interests of the party are protected by a lawyer from our practice — the client stays with the same firm. A lawyer conducts family disputes in the proceedings: files motions, examines witnesses, challenges claims. They also take part in cases concerning a child's place of residence, division of a mortgage, and deprivation of parental rights. People turn to family lawyers when a former spouse hides income, prevents contact with the children, or files a counterclaim.
A family lawyer online is a format in which divorce, alimony and division of property are discussed remotely, without a visit to the office. An online consultation on family matters is suitable if you need to work through the situation, understand which documents you already have and which are missing, choose between court and registering the dissolution of the marriage, and assess the prospects of a dispute over children or property.
Remotely, the lawyer reviews scans and photos of documents and helps build a strategy: how to state the claims, what to prove and what evidence to gather. Personal presence and originals are needed when the case reaches court, a notarised agreement or registration of the divorce, and also for inspecting and checking documents. After the online review it will be clear which steps you can take yourself and where a lawyer in Almaty will be required.
At the first consultation, a family lawyer works through three things: what in your family counts as jointly acquired property and what is personal, whether there are minor children, and how disputable the other side's claims are. You come with a specific situation, and you leave with a picture: which issues can be resolved by agreement and where you will have to go to court.
A consultation with a family lawyer is built around your documents, so bring your marriage or divorce certificate, the children's birth certificates, documents for the apartment, car and land, the mortgage agreement, and statements of income and loans. A consultation with a family advocate is different in that it immediately assesses where the dispute is real and where the parties can reach agreement; with a family lawyer, the price of a consultation depends on the complexity of the case, the number of questions and the volume of documents.
For a consultation with a lawyer on family matters to give an accurate assessment of the prospects rather than general discussion, gather your documents in advance. The basis is the marriage certificate and the children's birth certificates, as well as documents for property: the purchase agreement, the technical passport, an extract from the register, the loan agreement and the mortgage payment schedule. If there is correspondence with your spouse about the children, alimony or division, keep it: it shows what you have already agreed on and where a dispute has arisen.
To calculate alimony and assess property claims, statements of income for both parties are needed, including income from business or rent. At a consultation with a lawyer on family matters it is important to speak honestly about hidden assets, debts and agreements with relatives: this affects how the court will determine jointly acquired property. If some documents are held by the spouse, they can be requested through the court — this is worth asking about at a consultation with a family law lawyer. What to prepare:
A marriage is dissolved through the civil registry office when the spouses agree to the divorce and have no minor children together. In all other cases the matter is decided by the court: if there are minor children together, if one of the spouses objects to the divorce or simply avoids filing the application. So even before collecting documents it is important to understand which procedure your situation falls under — this determines which papers to prepare and what to expect.
A contested divorce differs not only in the authority that formalises it. In court, the questions of who the children will stay with and how they will communicate with the other parent are decided at the same time, maintenance is established, jointly acquired property and the mortgage are divided, and sometimes a marriage contract is challenged. Each of these issues can become a separate dispute, and a family divorce lawyer helps build a position so that you do not lose on what matters most while the process is under way. Separately, it is worth checking whether there are grounds for withdrawing the claim or for reconciliation — sometimes the parties reach an agreement after the claim has already been filed.
Everything the spouses acquired during the marriage is treated as joint: an apartment, a car, deposits, shares in a business. But property bought before the marriage, received as a gift or by inheritance remains personal — it is not divided. In practice, disputes most often arise because part of the contributions to a joint apartment was personal: for example, a pre-marital car was sold and the proceeds paid as a deposit on the mortgage. In such a situation a family lawyer assesses how to confirm the source of the funds and preserve the right to compensation.
A mortgage is not only an apartment but also a debt. A loan taken out during the marriage is recognised as joint, and after divorce it is divided in proportion to the awarded shares. If there is no one to keep paying, the bank is entitled to enforce against the mortgaged apartment, so it is important to decide in advance: sell the property and clear the debt, leave the home to one spouse with compensation to the other, or arrange a transfer of the obligations. The matter cannot be closed without a written agreement or a court decision.
A marriage contract is needed when the spouses want to determine the fate of their property in advance and not depend on the default joint property regime. By default, everything acquired during the marriage is treated as joint, and on divorce the apartment, car, deposits and mortgage are divided between the spouses. The contract changes this picture: specific items can be assigned to one of the spouses, or a shared or separate ownership regime can be established for income and purchases.
It is concluded in writing and certified by a notary. It can be made before the marriage or during it, and the terms take effect according to the rules of the contract itself. It is worth setting out in advance the composition of each spouse's property, the procedure for dividing the apartment and the mortgage, each spouse's contribution to joint acquisitions, and also maintenance and support.
Child maintenance can be established in two ways. The first is through the court. If the parents have not reached an agreement, the court awards shares of earnings: one quarter for one child, one third for two, and half for three or more. This requires an application, a marriage or divorce certificate, the children's birth certificates and a statement of the payer's income.
The second way is a notarised agreement. The parents themselves determine the amount, frequency and method of payment: in money, property or otherwise. Such an agreement is certified by a notary and has the force of an enforcement document. If the payer stops paying, the document is submitted directly to a court enforcement officer, without a separate court case.
| Criterion | Court decision | Notarised agreement |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | Application to the court | Agreement of the parties |
| Amount | Shares of earnings | Any amount by agreement |
| Method of payment | Money | Money, property, etc. |
| Enforcement | Writ of execution | Force of an enforcement document |
Either document can be submitted to a court enforcement officer in case of non-payment.
When parents cannot agree on who the child will live with, the dispute is decided by the court. It assesses who creates better conditions for upbringing and development, and takes into account the child's attachment and interests. An important piece of evidence is the opinion of the guardianship and trusteeship authority: specialists examine each parent's housing and give a reasoned opinion. A family lawyer in Almaty helps to gather these materials and build a position without putting pressure on the child.
The arrangements for the other parent's contact can also be set by agreement: when and where they see the child, how they take part in upbringing, how disputed situations are resolved. A notarial form is not mandatory, but a written document instils discipline and simplifies enforcement. If no agreement is reached, the schedule is set by the court — usually taking into account the child's age, study and activity schedule, and the opinion of the guardianship authority. It is not permissible to violate such a schedule or create obstacles: this is grounds to revise the contact arrangements.
A situation where one parent wants to take the child outside Kazakhstan — on holiday, to relatives or for treatment — and the other objects or simply refuses consent, comes up regularly in the practice of an international family law lawyer. The other parent may refuse because of conflict after a divorce, out of fear that the child will not be returned, or simply on principle. In any case, taking a minor across the border without the written consent of the other parent, certified by a notary, is impossible, and the border service has the right not to let the child through.
If there is no consent, only lawful routes are worth discussing: negotiations with the other parent and having consent certified by a notary, applying to court for permission to travel where there are grounds, or cancelling the trip. An attempt to cross the border with the child using a forged power of attorney or without documents will result not only in a travel ban but also in the risk of criminal liability and a weaker position in the child-related dispute. What will need to be collected:
Strategy in a family dispute begins with reviewing the documents: certificates, sale and purchase agreements, loan and mortgage papers, bank statements, information on income and the composition of property. The lawyer then compares the facts with what can actually be proved in court and considers what decision is likely on each claim — on division of the flat and the debt, on the child's place of residence, on alimony. The outcome depends on the circumstances of the particular case and is not guaranteed, so an honest assessment of the prospects matters more than promises.
That assessment then shapes the approach: to fight hard on every point or to move towards a settlement that is enforceable and closes the matter faster. Over 12 years of family practice and more than 380 family cases, it is clear that 65% of cases close with a settlement — the parties set out arrangements for contact with the children, the amount of alimony, the division of property and debts, and do not spend their energy on a long process. If agreement cannot be reached, the dispute is conducted in court on the basis of provable facts, not emotions.
How much a family lawyer costs depends not on the name of the service but on the volume of work in the particular case. A one-off consultation, drafting a settlement or a claim, appearing at a single hearing, and handling a dispute from the first hearing through to enforcement of the decision are different amounts of time and documents. That is why a family lawyer's price is made up of the work involved, not a template price list.
The final cost of a family lawyer's services is also affected by the length of the dispute: the more hearings, expert examinations and objections from the opposing side, the more stages of work. When comparing a family lawyer's price and experience, it matters more to look at what exactly is included in the fee: only drafting papers or also representation in court. Below is what the scope of work consists of; the figures themselves are in the prices section on the page.
| Stage | What is included | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Consultation | review of the situation, documents, prospects | complexity of the matter, volume of paperwork |
| Documents | claim, agreement, motions | number of documents, urgency |
| Court | hearings, evidence, objections | number of hearings, position of the other party |
| Enforcement | work with the court enforcement officer | voluntary compliance |
The length of the dispute and the activity of the other party increase the scope of work.
The most expensive mistakes in family matters are made not in court, but before it: an agreement signed "on trust" and original documents handed over to the other spouse are almost impossible to fix afterwards.
Reviews
I had to divorce my husband, and there was the issue of dividing the flat and the car. At first he refused to talk at all, I was very scared about how things would turn out. Asel explained everything to me, spoke without rushing, calmed my nerves. Later we reached an agreement, settled it without going to court. I hardly even went in, most of it was over the phone. Thank you, good luck with your work
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
Asem, thank you for your kind words! We know that calm and trust matter at a time like this, so we are glad.
Alimony was awarded as a fixed sum, because the ex is an individual entrepreneur and shows minimal income. They explained in advance why it would be that way, and everything turned out as they said.
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
A dispute over who our son would stay with. A hard case, about five months. They worked with the guardianship authorities, gathered character references. The child stayed with me.
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
They helped with the mortgaged flat, where we both paid but differently. They calculated each person's contribution, and the share came out not half and half but more in my favour.
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
I went to have a marriage contract drawn up before entering a second marriage. After my first marriage I became cautious, so I wanted to sort everything out in advance. They explained it to me without any pomp, in plain language, what terms get written in and which ones don't actually work in practice. I had no understanding of this before, I asked a lot of questions. They answered patiently, didn't rush me. Only once did I need to bring an extra document, it turned out not to be on the list they gave me at the start, so I had to go back. I also waited a while for a reply, sometimes they would get back to me a day later. But in the end everything was done properly, I am satisfied. Now I have a marriage contract, and my mind is at ease.
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
My ex-husband stopped paying alimony, and a debt built up over two years. My child's expenses grew and I was carrying it all alone, so I decided to seek help. When I came here I told them my situation and asked what options there were. They explained everything, opened up things I didn't know. But it didn't all happen at once, the case went through the court enforcement officers, it took some time. There were moments when I was waiting and my patience ran out. Still, they didn't abandon me halfway, they saw it through to the end. In the end the debt was recovered. Thank you for that, you really put my mind at ease.
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
When there seemed to be no way out of dividing the mortgaged flat, the bank refused to agree to anything. We settled it by buying out the share and refinancing the loan, it took five months. Thank you, it's finally done.
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
Dinara, thank you for trusting us! With mortgaged flats these matters require patience, and we are glad you saw it through to the end.
My ex-wife stopped letting me see my daughter, at first we couldn't agree by talking, then she stopped answering my phone altogether. When I miss my daughter my heart aches, so I said we needed to set a contact schedule through legal means. When I came to this company I explained my situation, and they listened without rushing me. Sanzhar explained everything to me, told me what documents were needed, warned me about every step in advance. In court the days and hours were written down precisely, not in general terms. Now it's clear when and at what time I see her. Before, every time had to be agreed and it would end in a row. Now we are both calm, because everything is clear. Thank you, Sanzhar and the company.
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
Askar, thank you for your review! We know that when the contact schedule with a child is clear it is easier for both sides, and we are glad.
Thank you for listening to me, I came in such a state that I couldn't speak. Asel listened to me calmly, didn't rush me, gave me time to pull myself together. It helped a lot.
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
I thought I would calculate the alimony myself and sort everything out on my own, but because my ex-wife's income is unstable I got confused. Acquaintances advised me to go here, so that's why I came. They explained to me the difference between a fixed sum and a percentage, which I hadn't known before. Their explanations were simple, precise, without unnecessary words. They said that in my situation a fixed sum was the right choice, because the income is unstable. They helped gather the documents and told me where to go. In court everything went as it should, the alimony was set as a fixed sum. I would never have found this path on my own. Thank you, truly professional specialists.
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
Yerlan, thank you for your review! We are glad you understood that when income is unstable a fixed sum is the right decision.
Divorce after twenty years of marriage, a lot of property, and I didn't want to go to court for the sake of the children. I came because I was already confused about who would get what. Gulnara helped lay it all out calmly, and we signed an agreement without court.
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
my ex-husband didn't pay alimony for three years, I didn't even know you could demand anything more. they told me there's a penalty, I was surprised. they recovered everything, both the debt and the penalty. thank you so much for the work
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
I came to get divorced after my wife filed the application, I didn't want a conflict myself. Everything was handled correctly, without winding things up. I'd separately note that they didn't push me towards conflict, on the contrary they suggested we reach an agreement. The only thing is I had to wait a couple of days for an answer, but that's minor.
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
Sergey, thank you for the review! We're glad the process went calmly, that matters to us.
my ex-husband wouldn't give consent for the child to travel abroad, just out of spite. I tried this way and that, nothing worked. through court they allowed the travel without his consent. we made it before the holiday, very grateful. they worked fast and precisely
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
Zhanna, thank you for the review! We're glad you made it before your holiday and the matter was resolved in your favour.
My wife filed for divorce, at first I was at a loss, didn't know where to start. There was a marriage contract, so we didn't have to divide the property. It was fine, the divorce went quickly.
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
There was a dispute over where my son would live, my ex-husband wanted to take him. I was very scared I'd lose my child, so I looked for an experienced lawyer. They listened to me, planned everything, and prepared thoroughly. We gathered the housing conditions report, character references, certificates. I didn't know about all these documents before, they guided me through. At court everything was decided in our favour, my son stayed with me. Thank you, you really supported me during a difficult time
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
A matter came up that the man who is supposedly my father has nothing to do with me, I had to contest a paternity claim. This is a very difficult topic, I was forced to seek help. It was handled tactfully, thank you
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
Before the wedding we needed to make a marriage contract, my parents insisted, I didn't believe in it. But now I understand it's not distrust, it's a smart step. Thank you, you explained everything
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
I had been deprived of my parental rights, restoring them was difficult. Gulnara helped, even though the process was long, she saw it through to the end. Thank you
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
My husband wouldn't agree to the divorce and didn't show up to register it, I was very tired. Yerlan helped, we got everything formalised through court, I didn't attend the hearings myself. Thank you
Service: Family lawyer in Almaty
FAQ
Yes, through the court. The other party's consent is not required to dissolve the marriage; the court may allow time for reconciliation, but ultimately the marriage is dissolved.
As a general rule, yes, but the share may be increased — for example, where personal funds were invested or in the interests of the children. Personal property is not subject to division.
If it was bought during the marriage with joint money — yes, the entry in the documents does not determine the ownership regime. What matters is when and from what source it was acquired.
Either by buying out a share with the loan reissued, or by selling and repaying the debt with the remainder divided. The bank is a mandatory party to that conversation.
Without a dispute — from a month. With division of property or a dispute over children — usually three to six months, depending on expert examinations and the other party's position.
In property cases, usually not — the representative conducts the hearings alone. In cases concerning children, the court more often summons the parents in person.
Yes, where income, family composition or health changes. Revision goes through the court; the amount cannot be changed retroactively.
Yes. The content of your enquiry is not disclosed, including the very fact of your visit.
The first consultation with a family lawyer is free. A divorce without a dispute costs less; division of property with valuation costs more. Indicative figures are in the price list; the exact amount follows once the documents are reviewed.
Yes. We accept certificates, contracts and correspondence as photographs. An online family law consultation is also convenient because you do not have to explain the situation in front of relatives.
Divorce, division, maintenance, disputes over children — these are civil matters, handled by a family law lawyer. A family law advocate is needed if the conflict has moved into criminal territory.
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Open on ZoonThe first consultation is free. If the matter can be resolved without court, we will say so directly.